At the beginning of April we spent three days in Rome using the Rome City Pass — and despite a few quirks, it helped shape a magical trip. From iconic sights like the Colosseum, Pantheon and Vatican Museums to hidden gems such as the Case Romane and Vicus Caprarius, the pass offered excellent value, skip-the-line convenience, and a brilliant mix of ancient history, art and quieter corners of the Eternal City.

It’s 1890s Paris and Le Chat Noir is reborn. This five‑star immersive dinner‑theatre delivers sensational cabaret, live musicians, exquisite detail and joyful French anarchy. Come dressed to impress, eat well, drink absinthe and leave exhilarated.

Madrid is made for art lovers on a short break. Three world‑class galleries sit within walking distance, from Goya’s unflinching truth‑telling and El Greco’s otherworldly intensity at the Prado, to Picasso’s devastating Guernica and the calm brilliance of the Thyssen. Highlights there include jaw‑dropping Canalettos, a powerful Holbein portrait of Henry VIII, and a Georgia O’Keeffe I’m still thinking about.

Last Sunday night at the Dominion felt more like a glitter‑splashed anniversary party than a standard theatre trip. I loved briefly meeting original cast members and the enthusiastic, funny fan‑club Q&A, with a shy appearance from Peter Hinwood, the original Rocky, who later left acting for an art‑gallery life. The shadow cast was fun and inclusive at first, Little Nell was a joy, but the constant film heckling wore thin. ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Joyfully chaotic and packed with nostalgia, Biff To The Future is a fast, funny one-man romp led by a superbly energetic Joseph Maudsley. With pitch-perfect sound cue interplay and inspired audience moments (that air guitarist!), it’s playful, irreverent and all the better if you know the films.

Conceived during Covid-19, TR(IA)L is a tense, claustrophobic sci-fi drama following ‘Subject X’ as she undergoes a mysterious drug trial. Isolated and stripped of memory, she begins to question her reality—and her supervisor. Smart and unsettling, it offers a chilling reflection on control, identity, and modern science

A clever and chaotic musical that flips Cinderella on its head and keeps the laughs coming. With jokes pitched perfectly for both children and adults, standout performances from the Fairy Godfather and Wicked Stepmother, and a pace that never lets up, Apparently Ugly is sharp, silly and hugely enjoyable. ★★★★★

A warm, witty and deeply relatable look at love after sixty, Invisible Me shines thanks to Bren Gosling’s insightful script and a beautifully layered performance from Tessa Peake-Jones. Honest, funny and quietly moving, it’s a refreshing reminder that life’s most exciting chapters can still lie ahead.

This gripping 90-minute Saint Joan distils Shaw’s epic into a fierce, modern clash of faith and power. Ruthie Black is electrifying in the title role, while James Saxby’s shapeshifting performance is equally compelling. Together, they create a taut, thought-provoking piece that feels urgent, intimate, and strikingly relevant.

A raw and unsettling exploration of trauma, this powerful one-hour play follows fractured lives colliding with devastating consequences. With haunting performances, a sparse candlelit set and striking live music, it’s an intense theatrical experience that lingers long after the final moment.

2210 by Natty Can Cook in Herne Hill is a buzzing Caribbean restaurant serving standout dishes, from the best roti we’ve ever had to perfectly spiced jerk chicken and tender oxtail. With warm, attentive service (and a surprise rum punch for a birthday), it’s a neighbourhood spot we hope stays busy every night.

We explored Madrid using the GPSmyCity walking app, following a route from the Royal Palace to Retiro Park. It’s a brilliant way to see the city at your own pace, with plenty of stops for history, food and people-watching. A few directions could be clearer, but overall we’d happily recommend it.

A gripping two-hander, THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME. charts Grace and Eli’s relationship from childhood to adulthood with striking emotional clarity. Amaia Naima Aguinaga and Francis Nunnery share compelling chemistry, while inventive staging blends puppetry, projection and craft. This meta, self-aware piece probes memory, authorship and control with layered, thought-provoking precision.

Moonlight is a musical reflecting on Phil Lynott’s early life, the rise of Thin Lizzy and his untimely death. Staged at the Hammersmith Apollo, where “Live and Dangerous” was recorded, it adds poignancy. Featuring Eric Bell and a powerful central performance, the show blends music, memory and myth in a tribute to a rock icon.

Our home-grown South Croydon forced rhubarb stars in this beautiful tart, proving anything Yorkshire can do, we can also do down here. A crisp pastry base, silky custard and jewel-bright rhubarb make this a true spring showstopper.

A dazzling new cast brings fresh energy to SIX at the Vaudeville Theatre. With stunning vocals across the board and a standout performance from Nia Stephen as Catherine Parr, this joyful, glitter-filled retelling of ‘herstory’ remains as empowering and entertaining as ever.

A tightly written one‑hour thriller-comedy performed by Finella Waddilove and Sarah Parkins, Doughnut Drive blends humor, grief, chaos and film‑inspired mayhem. With sharp chemistry, frantic twists, and cinematic flair, this female‑led crime caper delivers a refreshing and gripping ride from start to finish.

Mythos: Ragnarök fuses Norse mythology, theatre and pro wrestling, using not just fight choreography but classic wrestling storytelling – surprise entrances, cue-hit music and crowd play. With powerful female characters, live music and bold visuals, it’s a high-energy, immersive show that takes wrestling to another level and shows why it’s a Fringe sell-out hit.

An intimate and emotionally layered two-hander, Dawn of Reckoning draws you in with its relatable university nostalgia before unfolding into something far more unsettling. With gripping performances from Emily Carter and Sophie Linfield, this ambiguous story of friendship and loss lingers long after curtain call.

A one-man revival of Jeffery Bernard Is Unwell staged inside Soho’s historic Coach and Horses pub offers an atmospheric slice of theatre history. Robert Bathurst delivers a lively performance among the audience, but the script’s celebration of Bernard’s alcoholism, gambling and misogyny now feels dated—leaving this immersive revival both entertaining and uneasy in equal measure.